CORRESPONDENT .

National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (Nasfam) has urged smallholder farmers in Mzimba to embrace climate-smart agriculture to avert hunger and avoid post-harvest losses due to climate change. The association is implementing a Smallholder Farmers Scaling Up Climate-resilient Solutions project in the district targeting about 10 000 farmers. In an interview after meeting smallholder…

Imagine a 22-year-old primary school without a permanent building, a public facility where learners are crammed in leaky shacks with walls and roofs made of glass. This is the story of Lwanjati Junior Primary School in Mzimba, whose photographs went viral on the social media and moved students at Osted High School in Denmark…

Activists behind Youth Decide Campaign have urged people vying for public offices in the May 21 Tripartite Elections to increase the youth’s chances in life by investing in quality education, job creation and agribusiness. Campaign coordinator Dalitso Mageregere said this in Rumphi during a meeting organised to disseminate the National Youth Manifesto made after nationwide…

Fasileni Kanyenga was in her eighth month of pregnancy when she fled heavy rains that displaced about 79 000 people in the southern half of Malawi in March. Each passing day, she was looking forward to a safe delivery at Chitekesa Health Centre in Phalombe. The mother of three was aware of all the requirements…

Civil Society Organisation Nutrition Alliance (Csona) Malawi has challenged organisations (CSOs) implementing nutrition activities in the Northern Region to lobby for more resources for nutrition health. Csona programmes manager Bessie Ndovi said this yesterday in Mzuzu during the close of a three-day nutrition advocacy training that attracted CSOs in the nutrition sector in Mzimba, Rumphi…

UTM Party presidential candidate Saulos Chilima yesterday told Muslims who are observing the month of Ramadhan to use the period to pray for peaceful elections. His call during a rally held at St Augustine 3 Primary School ground in Mangochi comes at a time when political party followers in the country are vandalising campaign materials…

Multi-award-winning video director-cum-producer Sukez, real name Gift Sukali, on Saturday at Blantyre Hub inspired young people to develop a business mindset to achieve their aspirations. The inspirational talk, held under a programme called Upgrade Yourself, was organised by Blantyre Hub to motivate youths who are in business and other ventures. In an interview, Sukez, who…

United Nations (UN) agencies, Malawi Government, national and international agencies have reached over 400 000 persons affected by the impact of Cyclone Idai. The flood survivors have received immediate life-saving relief support including food, medicine, shelter, protection services and other non-food-items such as water, sanitation and hygiene supplies. In early March, heavy rains and flooding…

Rumphi youth clubs working in the Youth Forest Restoration Programme have presented a petition to the district commissioner (DC) over money relating to the programme. The six groups, comprising 35 members each, include Jaghala, Umodzi, Phalasito, Bumba, Salawe and Chikwawa. Bumba Club leader Emmanuel Mwenechanya said at the beginning of the 2019 tree planting season,…

Though the Malawian film industry is not as developed as in other countries, there is a lot of young talent. While the industry continues to struggle due to, among others, finances and lack of equipment, there are people who are making progress such as Khama Mbaula. The 25-year-old filmmaker runs a company called Afritix Pictures…

Depression is forecast to be the world’s deadliest condition in five years, our contributor WONDERFUL SAMSON writes. Giving birth to the first child brought the blues rather than joy to Rebecca. Today as she opens up on this, she prefers her name concealed. A week after giving birth Rebecca’s whole world took an instant change.…

While access to the East Bank flood areas is improving, Makhanga in Nsanje District remains an island cut off by devastating floods that led to loss of lives, homes, livestock and crops. LABANA STEVEN was part of Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) team responding to medical needs of floods survivors at Makhanga. He shares his experience.…

In this article DOROTHY TEMBO-NHLEMA, from the Future Climate for Africa Programme, gives her personal perspectives on how Malawi can become more resilient to future extreme weather. Malawians are still recovering from the aftermath of floods, a recovery that continues for many months to come. The heavy rains in March came as a surprise as…

About 400 pupils at Njoka Primary School in Mzimba are learning under a tree after a windstorm blew off the roof of their classroom block three months ago. The school, which is in Manyamula Zone, is yet to be renovated; hence, the call for well-wishers to help. In an interview on Sunday, the school’s deputy…

Police in Mponela have arrested five teachers on suspicion that they facilitated cheating during the 2018 Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education examinations at Mafosha Primary School in Dowa. Mponela Police Station officer Innocent Kasongo identified the five as Bazilio Watson,48, of Chatewa Village; Wilbesi Chithonje, 49, of Mafosha Village; Michael Jester, 29, of Mphunju…

Group village head Longwe of Nkhorongo in Mzuzu has said at least one person dies monthly due to excessive drinking of local alcoholic spirits. The chief said this at the first political debate for ward councillors organised by the National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust held at Nkhorongo Community Day Secondary School on Wednesday.…

Zomba City Council (ZCC) has urged its residents to pay taxes to enable it deliver its services. The call comes against a background of residents owing the council K2 billion in 2017/18 taxes. ZCC acting chief executive officer Mussa Mwale said this during a budget consultation meeting on Tuesday to enable the residents have a…

For Fanuel Master, the thought of taking an HIV test was frightening. It scared the hell out of him that a medical practitioner would know his HIV status. But in an instant, it all changed. The 24-year-old bicycle taxi operator at Dyeratu in Chikwawa recently took his first HIV test using an oral self-test kit…

Institute of Public Opinion and Research (Ipor) has given Zomba City Council (ZCC) a skip loader and eight skips valued at K36 million as part of a project to improve revenue collection. The donation is part of a research that seeks to assess whether residents would be more willing to pay city rates when services…

Cross Life Church (CLC) has donated assorted items to 3 446 households affected by the recent floods in Chikwawa. The church gave the donation with financial support from Convoy of Hope, a US-based organisation, to the tune of K14 million. Speaking when they donated the items last Sunday at St. Matthew’s Catholic Primary School, CLC…